9-11 Ten Years Later: Paris, Provence, Loss, Sadness and Joy

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9-11 Ten Years Later: Paris, Provence, Loss, Sadness and Joy
Ever since September 11, 2001, most people can’t have that day come and go without remembering the devastating destruction and loss that occurred. Three thousand people lost their lives; and we lost some of our freedom. For many, it was the end of an age of innocence. It’s one of the defining acts in recent history that has impacted travel and so much more. As much as we’d like, the world will never be the same. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. I was sitting at my desk in Paris in the afternoon, writing away. Because of the six-hour time difference, it was morning on the East Coast of the U.S. My son would usually sign on his computer and thank goodness for AOL instant Messenger (AIM). Even though we were on different continents, I had the feeling of being able to “talk” to him if necessary. As soon as he signed on, he started typing as if in a whirlwind. Where was I? What was I doing? He told me to turn on the television so I could see what was happening. I ran into the living room just in time to see the second tower crumbling down. This couldn’t be real. Clearly, this was a bad movie and couldn’t be real. Please remember these were the days before most of us had high-speed Internet, much less Wi-Fi. I grabbed my laptop and moved into the living room, plugged in the rinky-dink modem and, amazingly enough, was able to snag an AOL dial-up connection. Sitting on the sofa in total disbelief, I IMed with my son and a couple of other people on my Buddy List. Who could possibly believe what we were seeing on CNN and why was this happening? The horror and the terror were not to be believed. It would be a while before we knew the whys. I was unable to reach my mother who lived less than two miles from the Pentagon. All of the phone lines were jammed and there was no way I could make a call from Paris to Washington, DC. The irony was my mother thought I should move home (meaning where she was) because of some mini-bombs that had recently been detonated on the Champs-Élysées. A Buddy List friend, who lived in the area, finally contacted her only to find out she’d been sleeping. My son had gone home to his wife so he was off-line. People frequently want to know what it feels like to be an expat. In this case, I wanted to be with family. But would that have changed anything? In essence, we were all impotent and could do nothing but wait and hope the nightmare would abate and we’d wake up and realize it had been a bad dream and shake the dust out of our eyes. Phyllis Flick, who’d just moved to Paris to study, had rented a room down the street and didn’t have access to CNN. Even though we’d never met except through BonjourParis, she asked if she could come up to the apartment so she could see English-language television. That was fine with me. I was pleased to have the company and I think she camped on the sofa in front of the television. To be honest, the entire time was a blur. How well I remember my neighbors knocking on my door and asking if there was anything they could do for me. We really didn’t know one another, but they knew that I was l’américaine and at times such as this, even the French don’t stand on formality. The memory of my downstairs neighbor who worked for Microsoft will be indelibly etched in my mind. Michel appeared and insisted I come downstairs for dinner and their door was always open in the event I wanted coffee, company or a cigarette. Yes, it was politically and socially correct to smoke in La Belle France then. I needed to get out of the apartment and just walk and try to digest the devastation of what had happened. Each time I passed a store, a cafe, a bar or any of my usual haunts, people came out and asked if they could help. Would I like a coffee, a drink, something to eat or some company? The adage that the French are aloof was shot to hell that day and for a long time to come. When world-changing crises such as this occur, we find solace from others. My husband Victor had left for Provence a couple of days before. He so loved that house in the vines, and I was planning to join him a couple of days later. Since his U.S. office was headquartered next to the World Trade Center, he was concerned about many of his colleagues and friends. What a terrible time when he heard that one of the offices where he’d worked was no longer standing. So much sadness. When I started writing this, I realized Victor died on September 12th, so it’s even more poignant. I came across this article in the archives of BonjourParis and thought it would be appropriate to republish. To the many people in all of our lives who’ve been lost for myriad reasons, let’s raise a glass to them. To those who are our friends and part of our families, let’s do everything possible to nurture and cherish them. Please know I consider BonjourParis readers family. You may come and go, but we’re a community and so many thanks to each and every one of you for being there. September 11, 2011 © Paris New Media, LLC [email protected] Subscribe & be first to receive 50 original France travel & French lifestyle stories every month: free subscription. BonjourParis, your most complete online France travel resource since 1995. RSS feed available. Check out our Amazon.com Boutique for the very latest stock in anything & everything for travelers & Francophiles. Books, fashion, electronics, accessories, home…
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